Fennel seeds stopped heartburn, successful wart remedy

Q: I have been bothered with heartburn for 50 years. I got it after every meal, but it was immediately relieved with Tums.

I was cleaning out the herbs in my kitchen cupboard and found some fennel seeds. I took a teaspoon after dinner and didn't get heartburn. Now I take fennel after every meal and haven't needed a Tums all month.

A: Fennel traditionally has been used to treat indigestion and gas. It has been shown to counteract smooth muscle spasms in the digestive tract.

Q: My son developed a wart on the bottom of his foot. He didn't take care of it as I told him to, so it grew and multiplied until it caused considerable pain when walking.

By then nothing he tried helped. His doctor wouldn't touch it and recommended a visit to a specialist.

I told him to get some fresh turmeric, but all he could find was the powder. I suggested he make a paste with a little oil. Mixing it with a few drops of olive oil and covering it with a bandage took away the warts and all of the pain in a couple of days! It has been several weeks since treatment, and the warts have not returned.

A: You are the second person who has reported success with turmeric against plantar warts (warts on the sole of the foot). Turmeric contains curcumin, which has antiviral activity (Virology, April 10, 2008). That might explain your success.

Q: I take lisinopril for high blood pressure and occasionally have a cough that cough syrup can't touch. My doctor told me that his patients have had amazing success with benzonatate to address this issue. It works for me, too!

A: Thanks for the tip. Benzonatate (Tessalon) is not appropriate for anyone allergic to local anesthetics like procaine (Novocain).

An iron supplement also may help with this kind of cough (Hypertension, August 2001). Switching to another kind of blood-pressure medication may solve the problem as well.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them c/o King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org